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(No Model.)

8A. G. BRADISH.

SLATE CLEANER.

No. 386,574. Patented July 24, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

ALMEDA G. BRADISH, OF ONEIDA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN s. METHOD,

OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,574. dated July 24, 1888.

Application filed December 27, 1887. Serial No. 259,012. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALHEDA G. BRADISI-I,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oneida, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Slate-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, in which- Figure l is an inverted longitudinal elevation of my improved slate-cleaner; Fig. 2, a transverse section of Fig. 1 on line X; Fig. 3, a view of the under side of the cleaner; Fig. 4, a longitiulinal section of Fig. 3 on line Z.

This invention relates to devices for cleaning slates used in schools; and its nature consists, in brief, in ahollowsemi-ellipsoidalcase,which is made of flexible material-such as rubberwith an ordinary inwardly-curved edge and 2c the hollow lilled with sponge, metal spurs being employed in the ends of the casefor the better security of the sponge. The purpose of the semi -ell ipsoidal form and flexibility of the material for the case is that it may be pressed together by the thumb and finger to force out any surplus water contained in the sponge, and the ellipsoidal form is the only one suitable for that purpose, for the case must be stiff enough to support the sponge, and when con- 3o tracted it must press on all the main portions of the sponge to remove the water to prevent dripping, and to accomplish this in practice the middle portion of the side walls to the case.

are to be made thicker than at the ends, and

the thicker portions should gradually decrease to the ends, so that the whole length of the case will gradually llatten by compression in the middle.

A represents the hollow ellipsoidal case,

which is made of rubber of about the llexibility of car-springs, and the edges are turned in at 0, without increasing the thickness of the material, that the sponge B may be held in place and brought as closely as possible 5 into the angle formed by the slate and its frame.

The inward projection 0 serves to hold the sponge in the middle portion of the case, and

to secure the sponge at the ends of the case metal prongs H H are secured by rivets and washers thereto, as shown. This form of case, when its sides are pressed inward to force any surplus water out of the sponge, will elongate more than the sponge with which the case is filled, and if the sponge be not held by some positive force it will work its way out of the case. This is especially truewhen the sponge becomes dry by evaporation, as is frequently the case.

In filli g the case the sponge is crowded with con iderable force toward one end and onto the prong at that place, and the opposite end of the sponge is brought inside of the opposite prong, push ed into the case, and Worked back onto that prong. This will revent the sponge, by constant pressure of the 01189, f om working out.

In practice the case should, for ning slates, be about two inches long and have a corresponding depth. as per drawings, and an eye should be formed on its back portion for attaching it to a slate. The rubber selected will not make any disturbing noise when brought in contact with any hard substance, and it is therefore unobjectionable on that ac count.

The ease need not be wet on the outside, inasmuch as the sponge B projects out far enough to be brought in contact with water to be filled by absorption. The surplus water forced out at each time the sponge is filled will well keep 80 he sponge clean and leave no water to drip.

E F represent the case and sponge contracted, as when water is forced out.

I do not claim to be the first to place a sponge in a case or holder, but confine myself 5 to the novelty expressed in the following claim.

I claim as new- A slate-cleaner consisting ofthe flexible hollow ellipsoidal case A, which is compressible laterally and provided with eye D, for attach- 9 ing it to a slate, in combination with the sponge B, filling the case, and the prongs H H, projecting inwardly from the ends of the case to hold the sponge therein, as specified.

ALMEDA G. BRADISH.

WVitnesses:

G. L. GHAPIN, J. S. METHOD. 

